Maroon
by closetcannons
Summary: Head Cannon of what happened after the battle in HBP with Ron & Hermione: "I was so afraid tonight. I was afraid that you had gone off being your selfless, stupid, brave self. I was so afraid that one of those bodies would be you on the floor. I just wish you could see how much I need you." RxH


_6th Year: 1997_

She stared up into the dark night. The maroon canopy hovering above her in the darkness. The same color of the blood she had seen on the floor where Bill lied earlier that night. Was it really just hours ago when the chaos erupted? It felt like days. Weeks.

She closed her eyes tightly trying to forget the vision of the rubble that had scattered through out the hallway and the bodies lying on the floor. She remembers running as green flashes of light flew past her in every direction. It was a miracle that they had all survived- Felix Felicis had a lot to do with that fact. She was sure of it.

Little stars started to dance around her vision as she shut her eyes even tighter. Sleep would be useless tonight.

With a sigh of submission, Hermione sat up in her bed. Muscles aching and sore from the battle. She had been so scared- not for herself, but the thought of something happening to her closest friends - to Harry, to Ginny,…to _Ron_. She trembled at the thought of it.

Slowly swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she blindly slips her feet in her slippers and delicately put her jumper on over her shoulders. She could feel the sweater brush across undiscovered bruises and cuts on her arms and shoulders. Now that the adrenaline of the night had passed, she was feeling a lot more of the after-effects of their fight.

She quietly got up and made her way down the stairs to the common room. It looked like the room had finally cleared out from all the mourning students. As she limped her way down to the couch in front of the fire, she could not help but think if this could be one of the last nights she spends in her favorite place on earth. _What will happen?_

Collapsing into her favorite spot, she tucked her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Staring into the fire, she felt her eyes start to prickle and burn with a fresh wave of tears. She thought of Dumbledore, for the grief and responsibility that Harry must feel, for Ron and the fear he must have felt of losing his oldest brother, for the fear she felt of losing _him_.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling at this point. She laid her forehead on her knees and hugged herself even tighter. Sadness, grief, and fear enveloping her. Her silent sobs were interrupted by the sound of someone shuffling out of the portrait.

There stood a tall exhausted red-head, eyes swollen from crying, grazes across his face showing evidence of their battle, and clothes still ratted and torn. Ron had come back from the hospital wing, visiting Bill with his family all night.

" _Hermione_?" Ron sniffed. "What are you doing up?" he asked- voice thick from crying.

"How is he doing?" She demanded, not even realizing she was standing up facing him at this point.

"He will be alright. Mum and Fleur are taking good care of him… quite scary to see those two getting along so well." he attempted to joke- adverting her eyes, embarrassed that she might tell he had been crying. She walked closer to him.

"And you?" she asked gently- fighting to look him in the eyes.

Ron sighed heavily and looked up for the first time into Hermione's eyes. His jaw clenched as he observed her bloodshot eyes and glistening face. She had a cut across her cheek, gash on her forehead, and a lip that had been busted.

A wave of emotions swelled inside him. Anger, grief, fear, sadness, love- and before he knew it he had wrapped his arms around the girl he had fallen in love with. He felt Hermione's arms slowly wrap around his waste and squeezed him tightly.

She could feel him inhale sharply and let out a shakey breath. Ron buried his head in her hair, her hair tickling his nose. He reached his hand up to the back of her neck and lightly stroked her hair. He could feel Hermione grip him tighter. They stood there for a while, desperately holding one another for any sense of comfort.

Hermione broke apart, snapping Ron out of it. He cleared his throat and looked to the ground.

"You must be exhausted. You better go upstairs and get some rest." Hermione suggested, wiping her face dry.

"As tired as I am, I doubt I will get much sleep tonight, Hermione." Ron stated.

"That makes two of us." she sighed. "Come sit with me then?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders and followed her. He watched her as she struggled to the couch to sit. He sat on the opposite end of her and watched as she tucked her legs into her chest, chin resting on her knee. A swell of relief swept over him as he watched her stare deeply into the fire. Her brown eyes reflecting the dancing flames- it was beautiful. She was beautiful. He could see the crease form in between her eyebrows, which usually meant she was deep in thought or worried…or both.

They had been separated for a a time when the chaos first erupted. Ron had been with Neville and Ginny watching Malfoy while Hermione and Luna had been keeping an eye on Snape. The Death Eaters had arrived on Ron's watch when the battle had broken out. When Ron saw Snape enter the corridor with no sign of Hermione or Luna, he knew something had to of gone wrong.

He had been so terrified at the thought of something happening to her. He probably looked quite mad how he ran through the midst of the chaos, calling for her - not knowing if something could have happened to her. He couldn't bare the thought.

It was not until minutes later that Hermione had appeared with Luna. She had this absolute panicked look to her face as she scanned the room of disorder, frantically looking for him. She started screaming his name when she couldn't find him right away. He had been busy fighting along side of Neville against one of the Death Eaters. Ron had heard her screaming his name in the midst of the chaos and started running towards her, dodging all the curses ricochetting against the walls. Hermione had finally spotted him, relief washing over her face. Right when he reached her, a Death Eater had shot a curse right at her. Luckily, he pulled her out of the way right in time.

"Your okay. Your okay." Ron kept repeating to himself when he pulled Hermione to safety. Convincing himself more than reassuring her. She looked wild and confused as she scanned his face before knocking him down to save him from a killing-curse and stunning a Death Eater in the process. She was brilliant.

"You never answered my question." Hermione whispered- breaking him out of his trance. He'd been staring at her again. He noted to himself to stop doing that so often.

Ron licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Dunno. I can't help but think what this mean for us…y'know?" he stared back as she nodded her head, the bags under her eyes pronounced even more so in the flickering light.

"How about you?" he asked huskily. Hermione bit her lip and looked to the floor- eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"How could I have been so stupid? Snape was right there- and I…I let him go. I can't help but think to myself 'what If I had stopped him?'…Would Dumbledore still be here? This… this is all my fault." She surrendered to another wave of tears and held her head in her hands. Thick, hot, tears falling down her face. The guilt was overwhelming. She felt Ron's large warm hands rest on her shoulder.

"Hermione, please." He whispered. "Look at me." she continued to cry, shaking her head.

"Look at me, Hermione." he demanded gently.

She lifted her head slowly and stared into his blue eyes.

"This is _not_ your fault. How could we have known? We could have never expected this to happen. Even _Dumbledore_ trusted him."

"Yes, but if I had just-"

"Stop it." He said sternly, grabbing her other shoulder so that he completely faced her.

"You did everything you could. You were brilliant tonight- amazing really. I know we have our row's and I can be such a _prat_ \- but you have _always_ been brilliant, Hermione. Always. I know I don't tell you that enough." Ron stated seriously- a bit shocked by this new-found bravery he had. He wished he could tell her so much more.

Ron watched her brown eyes dart back and forth- surveying his face. Trying so desperately to read what she was thinking.

"Thank you." she finally breathed. "I wish you could see how wonderfully brilliant I think you are." He let go of her shoulders and started to shake his head, not wanting to hear it.

"No. You listen to me, Ronald Weasley. You can be so self-deprecating, and I want you to know that I think you are one of the most incredible wizards I have ever met." she said shakily, mustering up courage to keep going. "You are a true Gryffindor. I just wish you weren't so willing to give up your own life for others all the time. You were so willing to sacrifice yourself, even as a 12-year old on that chess board. Then again in 2nd year, when you faced those spiders and went down in that Chamber to help save Ginny. 3rd year, I remember you stood up so easily to Sirius, telling him that he would have to _kill_ you first if he wanted to get to Harry. You were fourteen. _Fourteen!_ " she said above a whisper.

"Yeah- but anyone would have done that." he muttered.

"I disagree. Any _sane_ person would have turned and ran. _You_ didn't, Ron, you never have." she said, laying her hand on his knee. "I was so afraid tonight. I was afraid that you had gone off being your stupid, selfless, brave self. I was so afraid that one of those bodies would be you on the floor. I just wish you could see how much I _need_ you." She pleaded. He sat there, mouth slightly open, looking at her - amazed by the words she had just spoken.

"I…I need you too, Hermione." he whispered.

They sat there in silence, staring at one another. Hermione realized her hand was still on his knee. Embarrassed, she slowly pulls her hand back and distracts herself with a hangnail around her thumbs, breaking eye contact.

"Listen, Hermione…I've been thinking. I doubt Harry will be coming back to school next year. He is going to want to fight and find those horcruxes- and I'm not going to let him go it alone. I am going with him. I don't know if you would want to stay, but- "

"Ronald Weasley, don't you _dare_ think that I will be staying here playing 'school' while you and Harry go off hunting horcruxes!" She spat, shooting him that all-too-familiar look. The one that scared him a little, but also made his stomach do flips.

"I was hoping you'd say that." he slightly smiled at her.

"Whatever happens, we stick _together._ Got that?" she threatened.

"I got it. I promise." he laughed nervously.

"Good." She relaxed, knowing she won this fight. "You talk like that again and I will jinx you with out a second thought." Hermione smiled softly at him. It was the first time she smiled that night. He loved that smile.

"You know, you can be bloody scary sometimes." Ron teased as Hermione shot him a forced fiery glance, then caved and smiled. They sat in a comfortable silence- he watched her smile slowly fade away. She looked so intensely into the fire, as if it could answer all her questions. Ron could see her mind working, the same look she has when writing an essay for Professor Binns. Her eyebrows begin to crease again.

"We're going to be okay." Ron reassured. She nodded slowly- not sure she fully believed it. Hell, he didn't fully believe it himself.

Hermione turned to him and held his hand. "Thank you Ron, for everything." He squeezed her hand and didn't let go. She could feel her cheeks getting warm as his ears turn a small shade of red. "I better head back and try and get some sleep." She whispered. Hermione felt Ron squeeze her hand harder, as if protesting for her not to leave. He looked so intently into her eyes, as if he so desperately wanted to say something- Hermione wished she could read his mind.

"Uh…yeah. I guess so. I better get cleaned up and get some rest as well." Ron surrendered, letting go of her hand. As he prepared to stand, he was startled by Hermione throwing her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He squeezed her back- wishing he could communicate everything he felt in that one embrace. He caressed her back with his thumb. After a few moments passed- Hermione broke apart and smiled softly at him.

Ron stiffly rises up and offers Hermione his hand. She gracefully accepts it and slowly stands as they walked up the stairs to where they would part ways, never letting go.

"Goodnight, Ron." She whispers.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He whispers back.

Hermione squeezed his hand tight and departs, making her way up the stairs to her dormitory. Ron, watching her until she disappears up the stairs. They had never been this close before until tonight. He wondered if he had Felix Felicis to thank for that.

Ron carries his tired body to bed that night and lies down, waiting for sleep to overtake him. He stares up into the maroon canopy, and cannot help but think of Hermione and how it is the same color of her cheeks.


End file.
